For Natsurichan, hmmmm?
by Irako of the Desert
Summary: A fanfiction written by request. It features Natsuri-chan, a Sunagakure ninja on a mission to find the Akatsuki. But Itachi and Deidara are working together relatively speaking to stop her.
1. Chapter 1: And the Plot is Set!

It was a bright day in Sunagakure, as always. The punishing sun glared down on the village with brutal force, forcing inhabitants to stay inside the cool interiors of the buildings during high noon, when the heat was most intense. They were never idle. It took a lot of effort in order to survive in the village of Sand. Everybody worked in order to help support the village. Ninjas completed missions, bringing in money for buying goods. Civilians helped by creating rare and beautiful items for trade with other villages. Even the ones too young to work as a ninja or an artisan helped with keeping the buildings swept clean of sand and free of pests, as well as run errands for the adults.

A young woman with flaming red hair raced through the halls of the Kazekage's building. She ran into another person about her own age carrying a huge stack of papers, and sent all parties involved flying. She leaped to her feet hurriedly and bowed quickly!

"I'm so sorry! Please excuse me!"

The person looked up, rubbing his head and wincing. "Natsuri-chan, you have to be more careful and watch where you going!" Natsuri gasped and bowed again, nearing knocking him down again. "Kankuro-sama! I am so, so sorry. Please, forgive me!" She looked up at him with suuch concern on her face that he smiled slightly and gave in. "Ah, Natsuri-chan... Yes, you're forgiven. Where were you rushing off to, anyways?"

Natsuri smiled secretively. "It's special business for the Kazekage himself!" Kankuro stared, then comprehension dawned on his face. "You passed your exams for Jounin, didn't you?" His voice sounded proud. Natsuri nodded enthusiastically and bounced up and down excitedly. "They told me the Kazekage would give me a special mission, so I'm going as fast as I can!" Kankuro nodded and waved her off, saying "Go before you explode, then. Hurry up, you know he doesn't like waiting unnecessarily!" She grinned and dashed off faster than before, leaving a whirlwind of papers in her wake.

She arrived outside of the Kazekage's office and knocked rapidly. The door guard granted her entrance and she was soon face to face with the Kazekage. He had the usual dark rings around his eyes from lack of sleep, but he greeted her cordially and handed her a scroll.

"Your instructions are in there. Burn it after you read it here."

Natsuri unrolled the scroll and quickly scanned it. It contained the following information.

_Dear Gaara,_

_I am on the hunt for a certain group called the Akatsuki. They recently attacked your village and took you prisoner, according to my sources. I am glad to know you are back in Suna safely. However, I am not risking my cover just to send wishes for your good health. I need assistance in my search. If you are reading this, it means I am in mortal danger and require extraction. Whoever you send must be a skilled ninja and a clever spy. My disguise is as a merchant traveling the villages in search of profit. However, the Akastuki known as Deidara is suspicious and is even now following my every move._

_If I might make a request, Natsuri would fit my purposes most neatly. By now, I know she has passed her Jounin tests. She could pose as my niece and her red hair will help give credibility to the disguise, since it so closely matches my own. Her exuberance also encourages others to trust her._

_I trust your judgements most completely, Gaara._

_Sincerely,_

_Tamasho_

Natsuri's eyes widened. Tamasho had been her teacher when she was a Genin and they had often joked together about how they had been related in a former life, since they shared the same flaming shade of red for their hair. She formed hand seals quickly and called up a small fireball out of chakra that incinerated the scroll completely. After she had scattered the ashes into the waste bin, she turned and stood attentively before the young Kazekage. He watched her carefully for a moment, then nodded. "You may leave immediately, if you like. The original encrypted message came by messenger hawk from the town Haname. It is a week's travel away. I think you are a competent enough ninja to know how to help Tamasho most effectively." Natsuri bowed and, on impulse, hugged the Kazekage in a burst of gratitude. He smiled and hugged her back. Natsuri left his office and the building just as quickly as she'd entered, though without running into anyone this time.

A young woman with unusually bright red hair and a bouncy step walked purposefully through the streets of Haname. People stopped and stared as she passed. Finally, she seemed to reach a place she had been looking for, an modest inn with well-kept rooms and cheap fare. She burst in, shouting "Uncle! Where are you, you rogue?" She noticed the shocked innkeeper and rounded on him. "I'm looking for a man with hair like mine. He's a merchant, a little taller than me, and a complete scoundrel! He's supposed to be here!" The innkeeper, now a little intimidated by this agitated woman, nodded frantically.

"Natsuri-chan! I'm appalled!" The man in question was coming down the stairs with a air of dignity and injured pride. She whirled and glared at him. "You're appalled?! What about leaving me behind so you could sneak off to make money? _I'm_ the one who's appalled!" Tamasho smiled easily at her. "Well, you're here now, so what difference does it make? You can help me out since you're here!" Natsuri glared, then said "I get a fifty percent cut!" Tamasho held out his hand and said "Agreed!" They shook on it, then burst out laughing together.


	2. Chapter 2: Hmmm?

Itachi watched the laughing couple with narrowed eyes. He wasn't fooled by the similar shades of flaming red hair. The man who was hunting for the Akatsuki had no family. That little fact had been taken care of by Itachi a long time ago, with kunais and bloodshed.

"Itachi-kuuuun! Look what I brought you, _hmmm?_ Takoyaki! It smells delicious, doesn't it?"

Itachi closed his eyes tightly. _Maybe if I pretend he doesn't exist, he'll disappear..._

"Itachi-kun, are you ok? You look like you have headache, _hmmm_?" Deidara waved some takoyaki in Itachi's face in what he probably thought was a tantalyzing manner. Itachi opened his eyes and glared at Deidara.

"I don't like takoyaki. It brings up painful memories." He closed his eyes again, remembering the time he had bought Sasuke takoyaki. Sasuke had been so happy, then...

Deidara grinned evilly and said, "I know! That's why I brought some!" He bit off some of the takoyaki cheekily.

_Do not kill him, do not kill him. Leader wouldn't be pleased if he needed to find a replacement._

"Any changes with our target?" Deidara asked in a voice filled with takoyaki mush. Itachi grimaced in disgust at that.

"Only that his back-up arrived." Itachi frowned as he spoke. "A girl with the same color of hair as him. She's posing as his niece."

Deidara smiled. "How nice, _hmmm?_ Perhaps we should play with them a little, _hmmm_?"

Itachi clenched his fists. _Darn it, Kisame, why did you have to pick now to come down with the flu? If only you'd listened to me when I told you not to skinny dip in that glacial remnant! Then I wouldn't be stuck with this idiot and his _hmmmms_!!!_

"Itachi-kun? Were you listening?" Deidara smiled innocently at Itachi. Itachi nodded carefully.

"What do you propose we do?" Itachi asked.

Deidara's grin grew wider. "Why, pretend to be friends with them, of course! The girl has no idea who we are or what we look like, _hmmm_? Let's be nice to her!"

Itachi's face flickered with surprise momentarily. Be friendly? He wasn't even sure how to do that! Deidara noticed his uncertainty and patted him on the back reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Itachi-kun. Just act like me!"

_You mean like an annoying windbag who has mouths in his palms for 'art'? I don't think so._

Itachi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Dear gods, would somebody please spare him this? He would do anything to get away from Deidara! Anything to be spared _hmmmms!_


End file.
